ALBANY STAKES THE FEATURE ON CLOSING WEEK
This Saturday, Race 9 goes as the $50,000 Albany Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward. A lineup of nine is scheduled to compete in the five-furlong turf contest.
Southern California shipper Brandothebartender draws the rail for his second lifetime start on the Golden Gate turf and may go off favored. The son of Tribal Rule, whose home base is in Southern California, comes off a fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita. His lone career stakes win came last October in the California Flag Stakes for California breds. Interestingly enough, both aforementioned races came at the Albany five-panel distance on grass. Catalino Martinez rides for trainer Craig Dollase.
The speedy Mike’s Tiznow looks to be the likely pacesetter in the 2019 Albany. The 4-year-old gelding most recently defeated next out winner EL Chavo Del Ocho in a 5-furlong turf allowance dash and makes his stakes debut in the Albany for trainer Andy Mathis and jockey Ricky Gonzalez.
Summersimage, Sequentially and Adorned, the top three finishers in a May 17 allowance on the main track, enter back into the Albany. Summersimage is a multiple allowance winner, Sequentially ran third in the Lost in the Fog Stakes two starts ago and Adorned beat Mike’s Tiznow in an allowance on Tapeta two months back. All three older runners are tabbed at odds of 4-1 to 8-1 on the morning line.
Old pro Tough Sunday heads back to turf, his first grass race since a fifth place effort behind Grade I placed Stormy Liberal and Grade 3 winner Eddie Haskell in February at Santa Anita. The Steye Miyadi entrant was last seen finishing fifth in the 2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes and made his last winner’s circle appearance in the Sensational Star Stakes on March 11, 2018.
Owner Scott Herbertson and his son, trainer Ari Herbertson, won the 2017 Albany with 62-1 longshot Krsto Skye. This year, they send out 5-year-old Tribal Storm, a first time gelding that also makes his first start off a 10-month vacation. Tribal Storm won the Lost in the Fog Stakes last year on Tapeta but sports a solid 2 for 4 record on turf. Jockey Irving Orozco has the call for Team Herbertson.
The only 3-year-old in the race is Loud Mouth, who cuts back from a route to a sprint after a sixth place finish in the Alcatraz Stakes. The son of Boisterous possesses 3 lifetime victories, all of which have come in one-turn races, and makes his career debut on turf for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Pure Comedy, a winner of his last two starts, completes the field. His most recent two victories have come against high-level claimers for trainer Bill McLean and jockey William Antongeorgi, who retains the mount.
First post on Saturday is 12:15 PM PT. The Albany has a scheduled post time of approximately 4:15 PM PT.
Along with an 11-race extravaganza at Golden Gate, fans on-track can also watch and wager on the majority of the star-studded Belmont Park card. Eight of the 13 races on the program are Grade I contests, led by the $1,500,000 Belmont Stakes and the $1,200,000 Metropolitan Mile. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:37 p.m. ET/3:37 p.m. PT.
Race 9: $50,000 Albany Stakes
#1 Brandothebartender (Catalino Martinez/Craig Dollase) 2-1 MORNING LINE
#2 Loud Mouth (Julien Couton/Jerry Hollendorfer) 20-1
#3 Pure Comedy (William Antongeorgi III/Bill McLean) 12-1
#4 Tough Sunday (Silvio Amador/Steve Miyadi) 10-1
#5 Sequentially (Frank Alvarado/John Martin) 10-1
#6 Adorned (Juan Hernandez/Blaine Wright) 6-1
#7 Mikes Tiznow (Ricky Gonzalez/Andy Mathis) 8-1
#8 Summersimage (Abel Cedillo/Ricardo Perez) 4-1
#9 Tribal Storm (Irving Orozco/Ari Herbertson) 9-2
COMPETITIVE RACING THE THEME ON CLOSING WEEK, MANDATORY PAYOUTS ON SUNDAY
With four more live racing days on the calendar, Golden Gate Fields has a number of competitive, quality races lined up, giving horsemen and fans the chance to participate and wager on a plethora of races throughout the week.
A strong Thursday program kicks off the week, with 8 races on the docket. A maiden special weight, a duo of starter allowances’ and a 12-horse field on the turf comprise an enticing Late Pick 4 sequence.
Nine races are posted on the Friday overnight, with first post set at 12:45 PM PT. Race 5 features a field of 12 on the turf and goes as Leg C of the Stronach 5 wager, an industry low 12% takeout wager with a guaranteed pool of $100,000.
11 races will be conducted on Saturday, with the feature going as the Albany Stakes. An appealing Golden Pick Six sequence catches the eye-a sequence that includes the Albany, a pair of competitive maiden special weights and an allowance for 3-year-old fillies.
Closing Day Sunday is scheduled for a 12-race program, with first post time at 12:15 PM PT. The 20 Cent Golden Pick Six, the Rolling Super High Five and the Early and Late Pick 5 wagers have mandatory payouts on Sunday, which means that the betting public will find “larger than normal” pool sizes in each aforementioned wager. Heading into Thursday’s card, the Golden Pick Six has a carryover of over $30,000. Golden Gate Fields will also offer a GUARANTEED Late Pick 4 pool of $100,000 on Sunday.
FINISH LINES: Golden Gate Fields welcomes jockey Kyle Frey back to the saddle. The journeyman rider took an extended period of time off after sustaining a serious leg injury over the summer at Del Mar. Frey has two listed mounts on Saturday afternoon. “I’m really excited to get back to riding,” said Frey. “I’ve been working horses and feel really healthy. I’ll be ready to go this weekend”… Congratulations to trainers Dan Markle and Blaine Wright. Both conditioners won races at Emerald Downs with horses that participated in stakes action on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 28. Markle won the Hastings Stakes on May 27 with Ima Happy Cat, who just one-month prior finished second in the Camilla Urso Stakes on turf. The Hastings was a six-furlong contest on dirt. Last Sunday, Wright won the Governor’s Stakes with Lost in the Fog Stakes winner Anyportinastorm. Juan Hernandez flew North to guide the son of City Zip to victory…Jockey Abel Cedillo has 124 wins and sits atop the jockey standings with four racing days to go. Juan Hernandez has the second most wins amongst riders with 103. William Antongeorgi III (73 wins) and Catalino Martinez (72) are in a tight battle for third in the standings…Jonathan Wong has wrapped up a fourth consecutive training title at Golden Gate Fields with a whopping 84 wins at the Winter/Spring meet. Jerry Hollendorfer holds second place with 39 wins while John Martin completes the top three placing’s, equating 34 victories at the current meeting…Good luck to all horsemen, horses and fans at the upcoming California Fair meets. We’re excited to see you back for live racing at Golden Gate Fields on Thursday, August 15, Day 1 of the 28-day Summer Meeting (which runs through Sunday, September 29.)